Goodbye
by SkittlezLvr79
Summary: One Shot: The night before her last match for the WWE, Trish and an old friend hash out some lingering emotional issues then say goodbye.


_Story Title: Goodbye_

_Author: Tammi aka Skittlezlvr79_

_Category: Wrestling/Het_

_Rating: T_

_Spoilers: Up to Unforgiven_

_Summary: The night before her last match for the WWE, Trish and an old friend hash out some lingering emotional issues then say goodbye_

_Disclaimer: No infringement is intended and I don't own the people used in this work of fiction. They belong to themselves. The company and their respective onscreen persona's belong to Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Entertainment._

_---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---_

Trish sat on the bed in her hotel room, working on what she was going to say after her match at the Pay-Per-View tomorrow. Vince was kind enough to permit her a few extra minutes to say goodbye to them before she started her "retirement". Even though it was her decision to walk away from the business so she could get married, it still seemed surreal to her next match was her last match. Part of her was scared to take that step. The wrestling business had been her life, her family, for the six and a half years.

That made it hard for her to put everything she wanted to say to the fans and her fellow wrestler in a few lines. It would take pages for her to thank everyone for their support through her career. She sat back and chewed thoughtfully on the end of her pen, trying to think of a way to cram years into two paragraphs. A frustrated sigh bubbled over her lips and she let the pen fall to the comforter as she reread what she had written already. When she finished, she rolled her eyes and crumpled the paper into a ball.

She never thought that it would be this hard to say goodbye. But at her going away party earlier, she cried every time she tried to say the words. It was funny because when she first came into the WWE she had vowed that she wouldn't let it become anything more than just a job to her. That idea died when she made friends, really good friends who she spent more time with than her own family.

A low knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts and she frowned. It was two in the morning and she wasn't expecting anyone. Most, if not all, her fellow wrestlers were sleeping and no fans could get her room number because she always checked in under a fake name. Maybe it was Amy and she wanted to go over the details of the match again. After all, her friend was a notorious perfectionist.

The knock came again and she slowly got out of bed, tossing her messy hair over her shoulder. She crossed the room and started to pull open the door, chuckling, "I've got our match memorized, spot for spo-"

Her words caught in her throat as she finally saw who had been knocking. She swallowed thickly, a little surprised by his presence. "Jeff? What are you doing here?"

"Hey Trish." He gave her a smile, but it was far from his usually brilliant smile. It was dull and didn't seem to reach his mesmerizing eyes. "I realized that since I came back, we really haven't gotten to talk to each other. And I figured with tomorrow being your last day, this was our last chance."

His explanation brought a hint of a grin to her lips. She pulled the door open wider and stepped aside, gesturing with her hand. "Come on in."

She cast a hunted glance out into the hallway before shutting the door. The last thing she needed was for someone to see Jeff strolling into her room this time of night and assume it was for more scandalous reasons than a conversation. As much as she loved the people she worked with, they were notorious gossips. Especially when it came to the subject of Jeff Hardy and Trish Stratus.

For what she heard from the other Diva's, mostly everyone thought that there was much more than friendship between them. She always laughed it off but deep down inside of her there had been a little wistful voice that would respond with a sighed, "I wish".

She shook her head to clear the thought from her mind. He was here now, wanting to talk, that meant that there was something important on his mind. Something that couldn't wait until tomorrow. That made her very curious to hear what it was.

"So, you're retiring." Jeff stated as he sat on the edge of her bed. His voice was subdued, expression somber.

"Yeah." She absently tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear as she took a seat on the tacky flowered chair. "I need a break, some me time."

"Oh yeah," He shifted his position, putting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. "I know what that's like."

She reached across and gave his hand a supportive squeeze. "Enough about me. How have you been?"

"I'm surviving."

"You look good. A lot better than the last time you were in the WWE."

Some unreadable emotion flashed in those emerald depths but he hastily averted his gaze, suddenly finding the ugly gray carpeting fascinating. "Thanks."

"Jeff, I hope you know that I care about you. You've been one of my best friends since I came to the federation and I missed you when you were gone." She told him earnestly, needing him to know that the time apart hadn't affected their friendship.

A muscle in his jaw clenched and he ran the tips of his fingers through his hair. "I missed you too. I wanted to call you but…"

"It's all right."

"No, it's not." There was a no infliction in his voice but the words were forceful. "I owe you an explaination, an apology."

"You don't owe me anything."

His intense gaze locked on her face, searching. "My getting fired affected your storyline. You had to improvise and deal with rewrites-"

"I was too worried about you to care about that stuff."

He opened his mouth to respond but closed it quickly, fidgeting in his seat. She knew well enough to know what the mannerism meant. The topic was still a sore spot for him but he was trying not to let her know. He'd think twice about what he was going to say and if he couldn't come up with an answer he thought she'd like, he wouldn't say anything at all.

But she needed to get things out in the open. To get rid of some of the emotional baggage from the past that weighed her down for the last three and a half years. "Why didn't you want help?"

"I was stupid and stubborn." Jeff admitted quietly, staring at his hands. "I was also in denial about what I was, what I was becoming."

"And now?"

"Like I said, I'm surviving."

Trish's lips curved in a smile, "Matt kept me up to date on how you were doing. Well, it was more like I badgered him until he told me what I wanted to know. But I was so happy when I heard that you finally got help."

"If I had a chance to go back and do it over, I'd take the help when it was first offered. So many things would be different if I did." There was a sad note in his tone and heaved rumbling sigh.

"The past is the past. All that matters now is that you're healthy and back where you belong."

He nodded, "I know that it's my last shot. I have to prove to everyone that I have the fire back. That I'm focused and determined to make it work this time. That I want this."

"You will." She informed him honestly then took a deep breath. Since they were talking and clearing the issues of the past, she had to ask him one very important thing. Something that had plagued her over the years. "Jeff?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever wonder why we didn't-"

"Timing."

Her brows knitted together in confusion. "What?"

"Relationships have three important elements to them." He met her eyes and leaned forward, taking her hands in his. His thumb traced light, slow patterns across her soft palm. "Moments, a connection and timing. We had the connection, still do, and there were plenty of moments but our timing has never been right."

"It wasn't?"

"The first chance we had, you got injured and were out for a while. The second chance we had, my addiction and subsequent firing killed it." A mirthless chuckle fell from his lips. "And I guess that the saying 'third time's a charm' doesn't apply to us either since you're leaving to get married."

Trish swallowed thickly. She had been wondering if he knew the whole reason she decided to retire. "He's not making me retire…"

"I know. You'd never be in a relationship with someone who couldn't accept you for who you are and what you do." Jeff continued to gently caress her palm. "I'm glad that you found that."

"You are?"

"No one deserves this more than you do. This guy obviously makes you happy and respects you. So why wouldn't I be?" He released her hands and flashed a brief but genuine smile. "But if he ever does anything to hurt you, you let me know and I'll make him very sorry."

She reached over and hugged him, breathing in the all too familiar scent of his secret cologne mixture. Her arms tightened around him for a second and she closed her eyes, pretending that things were different and that their timing hadn't sucked.

His arms bound around her waist and his mouth found her ear. "I'll always love you."

"Jeff, I-"A shiver ran down her spine as he brought a finger to her lips, silencing what she had been about to say.

"Don't worry darlin'. I didn't come here to try to change your mind or try to get you into bed. I accepted the fact that we weren't meant to be a while ago." He released her and got to his feet, "I just wanted a chance to tell you how I felt and say goodbye to you this time."


End file.
